


The Demon of Hanamura

by Danudane



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Based off a piece of fanwork, M/M, Oni Hanzo Shimada, interrupted vacation, oni hanzo, worried Jesse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-09 08:31:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12272718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danudane/pseuds/Danudane
Summary: Hanzo and Jesse take a small retreat from missions and Overwatch. Hanamura seems like the best choice- peaceful, quiet, and holding a vast familiarity for the archer.Unfortunately, things don’t remain as quiet as they planned.





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of this wonderful piece of artwork - beatuscineris.tumblr.com/post/164238013252/i-tried-so-many-different-thiings-please-take-him by Beatuscineris on tumblr.

The trip back to Hanamura had been surprisingly uneventful. Aside from the tension in Hanzo’s shoulders, he seemed to gradually relax during the plane ride there. 

The archer had never been terribly fond of flying, but with Jesse’s constant storytelling and curiosity as to things they could do when they got to his old home, he was at least kept occupied. 

Eventually Hanzo found himself describing the grounds of Shimada castle and the surrounding city in perfect detail. From the architecture to the best places to eat, which alleyways to avoid and which housed shady characters that always seemed to know exactly what information you needed.   
The anxiousness Hanzo had felt beforehand was pushed to the back of his mind. He reminded himself he would be seeing Hanamura in a new light. He was no longer the displaced, homeless vagrant who fought his way into the castle to pay honor to his long lost brother. Genji was alive and well, and Hanzo had eventually managed to find his own spot amongst the Overwatch agents. 

This trip back to Hanamura had been planned as a final bit of closure, to close the chapter on a dark bit of past and attempt to finally put it behind him. It was also chance to see his favored cherry blossoms once more, one of the few calming memories he retained from his childhood.   
He remembered standing outside in the garden, a flurry of soft pink petals wafting over and around him, almost as if they had some mind of their own.   
Eventually those memories would bleed into far more upsetting ones...a sickly pale moon in the sky, dark red blood slick and shiny in the palms of his hands, the feel of the sword grip as he-

“-zo. Hey, Hanzo.” Jesse could tell Hanzo was lost in thought again, and he knew just as well as the archer how quickly the mind could go to dark places. He’d been there plenty of times himself.   
“You alright, darlin’?” The gunslinger couldn’t help but smile at the nickname, for this time it wasn’t in the case of just sweet talking. This time he could say it like he really meant it. It may have been a few months now that they had been seeing each other, but it still made Jesse’s heart beat something fierce to know Hanzo was his. 

“I am fine, Jesse.” Hanzo answered, a default response. A small sigh, and he lowered his shoulders. “Hm.” He started again, the little hum of noise sounding as bittersweet as the words that followed.   
“I may have turned over a new leaf, but old thoughts still follow me. As often as I try to banish them, it seems only fitting that they return now.” The archer finished, shaking his head briefly. 

“Hey, you know how I feel about Route 66, with the Deadlock activity still going on around there. Not sayin’ I know exactly what you’re dealin’ with, but I get it. Bad memories just creep in sometimes. There’s no shame in that. Happens to the best of us.” Jesse offered an encouraging smile, and let a hand come to rest on Hanzo’s forearm.   
“We’ll just have to start makin’ some new memories, hmm? I know I wanna go and beat the Shimada ramen eating record, for one. At...now what was that place called again? Rikamaru?” 

“Rikkimaru.” Hanzo could not help but laugh, Jesse’s optimism too infectious. 

“Aw, that’s right. I’ll remember it rightly one day. You’ll see.” The gunslinger gave a wink and then turned slightly, giving a quick glance out the window to see shiny chrome buildings below. “Looks like we’re close now.”

-

The pair settled into a small old fashioned inn-like establishment, just far enough away from the Shimada castle as to not arouse immediate suspicion if Hanzo went wandering outside.   
The place was antiquated, bamboo floors and sliding panel doors and all. As far as Jesse was concerned it could have been taken right out of the Shimada castle itself.   
It was a little stuffy and dark inside, but he made no fuss about their lodging. 

Settling in with their meager belongings was easy enough. A few different outfits fit easily into the drawers of a low, wooden cabinet, and the rest of his belongings stayed in the duffel bag he’d brought.   
Hanzo had taken the time to light a bit of incense, the scent of crisp sandalwood and pine eventually filling the room.   
They were lucky enough to get the room that faced a small inner courtyard, more of a little garden than anything else. A single small cherry blossom tree sat atop a grassy, moss covered lump of raised earth. It looked like a scaled up version of a bonsai, as the tree was around five feet tall. 

“Gotta say, we picked a good room. Or got this by chance. I know I didn’t call ahead.” Jesse looked a bit apologetic, but smiled again as he sat down beside Hanzo.   
A cool breeze blew through the garden and past them, just enough to send a pleasant shiver through Jesse.   
He knew he’d be glad for warmer weather, even if Hanzo still seemed to prefer the cold. 

“This place never gets much business. I designed it that way. The inn-keeper has this room available for me at all times, and I send him money each month.” Hanzo explained, clearly quite familiar with the place. It had become a sort of safe-house for him, and he paid the inn-keeper a fair sum to both keep quiet and mind his own business about it. 

Jesse let out a little whistle, impressed by the archer’s own personal hideout.   
“So, you got any secret stashes or anything?” Jesse lifted a brow in curiosity, glancing back into the room. 

“Perhaps.” Hanzo said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “But they will not be secret if I tell you.” 

“Sometimes I think you’re plottin’ against me, Hanzo.” Jesse grinned right back, teasingly. 

“You might find them, if you look long enough.” Hanzo shrugged, knowing all to well how to play this little game. 

“Now you’re just hurtin’ my feelings, honeybee.” Jesse leaned back with a hand against his chest in a mock injury, before dropping back against the wooden floor beneath him with a thud. 

“So dramatic.” Hanzo chuckled again, glancing over at Jesse beside him. 

“Says the man who pulls two REAL dragons out of his tattoos every time we get backed into a corner. Don’t you go lecturin’ me on dramatic.” Jesse gave him a pointed look, even if the smirk never left his face. 

-

“Don’t you worry about me, sugar. I’m only gonna be gone a little while.” Jesse leaned in an placed a quick kiss to Hanzo’s cheek.   
They had been here for four mostly uneventful days, the highlight being the cherry blossoms in full bloom and news of a local little festival coming up. 

“I can have things brought here.” Hanzo offered, looking up from his tablet to Jesse.   
He had been catching up on notifications from his brother, and from Winston.   
The daily check in seemed a little pointless with how quiet things had been, but being so far away from the rest of the team was something to keep in mind. 

“Nah. I wanna get out for a little bit. Keep your communicator on in case I get lost.” A little laugh and a gentle brush to the side of Hanzo’s face was enough reassurance, and Jesse moved towards the arched little gateway across the other side of the courtyard. It locked from the inside upon closing, so as to keep people from wandering in off the street. 

“Be safe.” Hanzo whispered, watching Jesse disappear through the gate. 

-

Jesse found himself almost immediately immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. Bright neon holographs and lights popped up between old and new buildings alike. He felt bad for not waiting for Hanzo to come along, but he also knew the archer had seen this view hundreds of times and likely still preferred the quieter areas of the city.   
There seemed a different kind of shop for everything imaginable, and Jesse’s impulse to buy snacks and little memorabilia items was nearly overpowering. He knew if he didn’t at least bring SOMETHING back for Hana and Lucio, he’d never hear the end of it.   
It was another twenty minutes or so before Jesse finally caved in and bought a few things, the last being a certain kind of sweet treat he remembered Hanzo mentioning. 

“Hey, darlin’. You’ll never guess what I found.” He started, receiving no immediate reply from the communicator. Jesse figured it was the archer’s way of teasing him.   
“No, really, I want you to guess.” Jesse laughed now, and went quiet again.   
Still nothing.   
“Oh, come on Hanzo. You know I don’t like it when you go silent like this.” Jesse tried to push down the growing sense of urgency and even worry that was gnawing at the back of his mind and the bottom of his gut simultaneously.   
“Ok, now this ain’t funny anymore...” He tried again, trying to tell himself Hanzo was simply taking a bath, or had fallen asleep. Neither seemed right.  
“I’m pinging your comm now, you’d best get back to me before I make it back there.” Jesse huffed, hoping this was just some lousy game or misunderstanding.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Slight warning for blood and gore here. Nothing too graphic.))

Hanzo had been scrolling through a chat log of messages when he heard the slightest creak of wooden floors.  
Perhaps Jesse had forgotten to grab something on his way out and returned?  
Another moment passed and the cowboy did not show himself.  
The strange absence of sound made the hair on the back of his neck stand. Someone else was here. Jesse never made so little noise.  
Hanzo willed his heart rate down, knowing he had to keep the advantage of surprise.  
“Jesse, your wallet is on the table by the door, I do not know how you-“ Hanzo paused just short of a breath as he swore he heard another creak. This time from from the other side of the room, behind more sliding screen doors.  
Multiple intruders.  
How had he grown so complacent? It had been a long time since he had been ambushed so easily.  
Hanzo’s eyes scanned the room, the only viable exit at this point was outside, through the small garden.  
His fingers twitched at the absence of Stormbow, knowing the weapon should never have been tucked so safely away as to be currently out of reach.  
They would be waiting for him to flee, but expecting him to fight. A dash toward Stormbow would be his best chance, but would also give him away. 

In the end, Hanzo was not given the chance to decide.  
Several enemies in all black rushed in, crashing through the screen doors and coming at Hanzo. 

The archer lunged for the duffle bag in the cabinet, grabbing a handful of the canvas material before a blade came down between him and his goal, slicing effortlessly through the bag. Hanzo was only grateful his fingers had not gone with it.  
Old instincts kicked in and he found himself dodging the swing of the blade with a practiced ease.  
Perhaps he had one thing to thank his father for- the endless hours of unarmed combat training against armed opponents.

He sank back into a cold, calculated state, the iron rich smell of blood catching his senses as the heel of his palm shattered the blade wielder’s nose in one devastating strike.  
The man howled in pain and dropped instantly, a flow of crimson painting the floor. 

One opponent defeated. Five more to go. 

Hanzo’s second target was far more bulky than the first, but he gave no reservation. That would only get him killed.  
He ducked under the man’s swing of a metal baton, and went for the instep. A jab to the man’s kidney had him stunned just long enough that Hanzo could transfer his weight and kick outward with his metal heel. It landed precisely where he wanted it to, the side of the man’s knee. Another sickening crunch of breaking bones and tearing cartilage and his second attacker was down. 

The third and fourth opponents were small and agile, armed with kunai and shuriken.  
It was not until he felt the cold bite of steel across his forearm that he knew these two attackers were going to be more of a challenge.  
Either way, he knew what they were trying to do- wear him down little by little. Had they all attacked at once, his dragons might have made quick work of them in one go.  
But taking their turns gave them an advantage, even if he had already disabled two of them.  
He tried not to let the nagging thought of Jesse distract him, but he could not help but wonder where the man had gone. Had these assassins gone after him, too? Had they simply waited until they were separated to attack?  
Hanzo’s fears seemed to be confirmed when the assassins finally spoke.  
“Your ‘partner’. The American. He’s dead~.” The two knife wielders began to circle Hanzo, one in front and one behind him. “She’s right.” The second spoke, a male, likely from Hanamura himself.  
The archer knew they were trying to distract him, to throw him off and make him careless. Clumsy. He had seen Jesse in battle, and knew the man was as unpredictable as he was skilled. There was no way he would be defeated so easily.  
And yet, it did not stop his heart from skipping a beat and his chest tightening. The thought of losing him-  
Another volley of shuriken came at him, one sinking deep into his right shoulder.  
The pain, however immediate, was a reminder to refocus. He would fight these assassins off and then find Jesse. 

It took more of Hanzo’s skill than he would have liked to admit to hold the two off.  
Every time he nearly landed a hit on one of them, the other would force him to block another swing of a knife.  
Sweat dripped down into the cuts and small wounds he had already received, stinging as he kicked and punched at his attackers, looking for any opening he could.  
His dragons writhed inside him, urging to be let out to fend off the attackers.  
Yet as his right shoulder began to go numb, Hanzo knew he had waited too long.  
Only now did he pull the shuriken from his shoulder, staggering back as a wave of dizziness washed over him.  
Shaking his head was an attempt to clear the feeling, but it did little to help.  
His heart was still racing aside from his otherwise sluggish movements, and a momentary lapse of awareness ended with a foot in the center of his chest.  
The kick knocked the wind out of him and he landed hard on his back, one of the assassins on him in an instant with a knee digging into his back and a knife at his throat. 

“Do it, then.” He wheezed, though it was far harder to force the words out with Jesse and Genji in his mind. 

“No.” The fifth assassin- who had been quiet up until now- finally spoke up. “You do not get out of this so easily.”  
The man was in a mask, but Hanzo knew he must have been in from his clan. Who else would go out of their way to make him suffer more?

The only response Hanzo received was a device being thrown to the floor in front of him. It flickered into life, filling the room with a life-size projection of an all too familiar room within the Shimada castle.  
Hanzo’s chest clenched at the sight of Genji from ten years ago. Bright green hair and still whole, dressing in white and orange.  
“No-” The word caught in his throat, and he tried to close his eyes and look away, but the knife at his throat only pressed closer.  
“Ah ah~ We brought this just for you. Open your eyes.” The assassin on his back dug her knee deeper. 

“Brother?” Genji’s voice filtered through, the scene panning back to show Hanzo approaching, sword in hand. 

Hanzo’s breath hitched, but he was not given any reprieve. 

“Watch it!” The fifth assassin roared, digging his heel into the back of Hanzo’s injured shoulder. 

Hanzo grunted in pain, but it was nothing compared to the sight he was forced to watch, his eyes open now.  
A small part of him knew he deserved this, guilt returning along with a flood of other emotions.  
He could not pause to wonder why, but he could not argue that seeing this projection playing out in front of him was even worse than having the memory replay itself in his mind, as it had for years. 

Seconds passed into minutes as he was all too thoroughly reminded of the cruelty he had inflicted on his brother.  
Pride and dignity laid aside, he had all but begged the assassins to stop the recording. He could not even wonder how they had acquired such footage, his own mind broiling in the turmoil the holograms caused him. His dragons were not faring much better, their own cries of anguish reverberating through him.  
Yet still, Hanzo did not let them free.  
When Hanzo struck the final blow and heard his brother’s cry, a darkness took his vision. Something pulsed within him, dark and feral. His dragons roared again and gave way to a different presence. Something- perhaps- even older than them.  
His body was numb, but at the same time he could feel this new presence changing him. Limbs grew longer, and his fingers dug into the floor with claw like nails. Horns sprouted from his forehead and his canines grew long in an outward curl like an Oni mask.  
Hanzo seemed a spectator in his own body- if it was even still his. What little he could see was still clouded, and he did not move on his own. Something drove him to fight back, easily shaking off the assassins in some supernatural show of power.  
Whatever happened after that was lost to him, and was over in moments.  
He had no idea how long he had been out of his own mind, but when his consciousness came back he was covered in blood- both his own and the assassins’.

His attackers were all spread out on the floor, some of them in several pieces. The rest of the room did not look much better, clawed up and splattered in blood.  
The smell of blood and gore had shocked his senses, but what had him pausing was a figure in the open doorway.  
His fight response triggered once more, he hissed aggressively in response as this alternate form took over again.  
_No_.  
This was not right. _Don’t_ -

“... _Hanzo_?” Jesse was breathless, panting as if he had just run a marathon. His hand had moved to rest on the grip of his gun at his side, eyes wide in surprise and...fear?


End file.
